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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23968324">Spring Flowers</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Poisonerrose/pseuds/Poisonerrose'>Poisonerrose</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Three Dark Crowns Series - Kendare Blake</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Fuck Canon, Gen, Kat &amp; Arsinoe get to be happy sisters, No beta we die like queens, mentions of child abuse</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 17:02:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,042</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23968324</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Poisonerrose/pseuds/Poisonerrose</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Arsinoe comforts Katharine after finding out the truth from Willa.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Katharine &amp; Arsinoe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Spring Flowers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It's the feeling of something being draped over her that pulls Katharine out of her sleep. But it's the sound of Arsinoe humming that forces her to sit up and open her eyes.</p>
<p>"Oh? Did you finally decide to wake up your majesty?" Arsinoe asks with a grin. "I thought I was going to have to carry you back to the manor."</p>
<p>"Arsinoe?" Katharine squints at her older sister. "When did you get here?"</p>
<p>"Not too long ago. I would have followed you out, but I had to stop Mira from screaming at Willa." Arsinoe plops down next to her and arches an eyebrow. "Things got rather intense after you stormed out. I sent Willa to a hotel for the night, probably be best if we all cooled down a bit."</p>
<p>"Oh." Katharine looks down at the cloak that now rested in her lap, trying to get rid of the burning feeling of shame.</p>
<p>It was unbecoming for a Queen Crowned to breakdown the way she did, to run from a confrontation. Natalia would have been disappointed in her, but she couldn't bear to look at Willa for another second. So she fled to the clearing in the woods.</p>
<p>She used to venture off here when she was younger, before all the poisonings, before the Arrons decided to keep her confined within the Manor. The fact she had managed to find without getting lost was a miracle within its self, but the moment she left, the clearing called to her.</p>
<p>It was a quiet place and nowhere near as eerie as Greavesdrake was. Katharine is glad she found it. She had been able to scream herself hoarse and fall apart with no one present to judge her except whatever animals hadn't been scared off. </p>
<p>"I'm sorry I reacted the way I did. I don't know what came over me."</p>
<p>"It's okay," Arsinoe says, pulling a leaf out of Katharine's hair. "You just need to be more careful when you storm off to places."</p>
<p>"Why?"</p>
<p>"You're still the Queen Crowned, you can't end up dead. Not yet."</p>
<p>"Jules will be Queen next month. I'm sure if I died, Jules will be just fine." Katharine says. "Maybe Willa would be happy too. That's what she wanted in the first place."</p>
<p>"Kat," Arsinoe frowns. "Don't say things like that."</p>
<p>"I'm sorry. I'm... still angry." Katharine leans her head onto Arsinoe's shoulder.</p>
<p>Years of pain and suffering. Years of watching disappointment cross Natalia's face. Years of abuse from Genevieve. Years of hoping she'd someday make Natalia proud. All of it was for nothing.</p>
<p>She was a naturalist and Willa had given her to the Arron's, with the hopes that she would die. </p>
<p>"Arsinoe, aren't you angry?"</p>
<p>"I'm fucking furious, but I'm more worried about you right now."  Arsinoe lets out a long sigh, and Katharine pulls her head back up. "You're the one that got beat for a gift that wasn't going to come, not me."</p>
<p>She doesn't respond. Every bruise and cut, every slap and kick, every single insult, Mirabella, Arsinoe, and Willa now knew about it all. There was nothing more that could be said.</p>
<p>"Kat, we don't have to talk about this tonight, if you don’t want too.” Arsinoe grabs her hand and squeezes it. “We can wait till morning.”</p>
<p>"I would like that."</p>
<p>After a few moments, Kat rests her head back on Arsinoe's shoulder and watches the tulip bulbs just ahead of her move with the breeze. Spring was fast approaching, and soon the woods would be overflowing with flowers.</p>
<p>"Those are going to be lovely tulips." She says finally, pointing out the buds to Arsinoe. "I think they're going to be yellow. At least I hope they are, Natalia always liked the yellow tulips."</p>
<p>Arsinoe pulls away, staring at her with wide eyes. Katharine winces, she should not have mentioned Natalia. Arsinoe did not like Natalia. </p>
<p>But before she can even apologize, Arsinoe drags her up off the ground and over to the tulips.</p>
<p>"Kat, let's try something." Arsinoe guides her hands to one of the bulbs. "Close your eyes and pray."</p>
<p>"Arsinoe, I can't do this." Katharine laughs. "I don't know how this works, and the gift has probably been poisoned out of me."</p>
<p>"Just try it. Only once." Arsinoe pleads. "Do it for me?"</p>
<p>Her laughter quickly fades. The excitement is radiating off of Arsinoe in waves, and with excitement came room for disappointment. She remembers how excited Natalia was when she first developed an immunity. Then the look of bitter disappointment when the next poison caused her to collapse.</p>
<p>She would not be able to handle the same look from Arsinoe. It would tear apart what little self-confidence she had managed to gain back. But Katharine cannot bring herself to say no. So she closes her eyes and prays, prays that the flower would bloom, prays that she wouldn't disappoint her older sister.</p>
<p>She keeps praying until Arsinoe's silence has become completely unbearable.</p>
<p>"Arsinoe, I'm sorry, I don't think I can do this." Katharine turns and opens her eyes, waiting for the disappointed expression that would cross her older sister's face.</p>
<p>But that disappointed expression never comes. Instead, Katharine is greeted with the widest grin she's ever seen, before being forced to turn back around.</p>
<p>The tulip was small, nor was it entirely healthy, but it was there. A yellow tulip, just as she had hoped for, grown by her own hand..</p>
<p>"That was you, Kitty!" Arsinoe all but tackles her onto the ground. "You did this!"</p>
<p>Katharine shrieks with delight and allows Arsinoe to pepper her forehead with kisses.</p>
<p>"We'll have to tell Jules as soon as she gets back. She will be able to help you more than I can." Arsinoe lets her go after a few moments of celebration and jogs over to the fallen cloak. "Come on, we have to tell Mirabella."</p>
<p>But before Katharine can even begin to brush the dust off her dress, Arsinoe throws the cloak over her head and then takes off running.</p>
<p>"I'm gonna get there first!" She shouts. "You're too slow!"</p>
<p>"No, you won't!" Katharine shrieks before taking off after her older sister, happy to leave her woes behind, even if it was just for the night.</p>
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